Birthday Week

The end of January and first week of February is a busy time in our family with four birthdays coming in rapid succession.  This year was especially exciting because it involved "6".  My youngest son turned 6, and my parents turned 60.  Little boy was also born on my grandpa's birthday...so there was a lot to celebrate!

My brothers and sister-in-law did most of the planning and preparation for the party, hosted at my maternal grandma's house.  Here are my grandpa, dad and Little Boy.  They all share a middle name.

We had Little Boy open his gifts from his grandparents before the bigger party. It was fun for them to watch him open his presents.

Then, the big party prep went into full swing.  I helped make the photo collage 60 with pictures of my parents.  I found the idea on Martha's website.  There was food and gifts to get coordinated.  The sweetest thing was this collection of 60 notes for each parent from family and friends.  My sis-in-law found the idea HERE.  Kudos to my brother and his wife for spear heading that effort.

Here are my folks as they walked in for their party.

Dolly was pretty excited, too.  With all that my parents have been through these last few years, it was really fun to just celebrate.  It was also special to have my dad's parents there to celebrate as well.  They have been amazing in helping my parents through some tough times.  Mr. Pickup and I had fun planning a mini surprise just for them behind the scenes of the party.

As I wrote my notes to be included in those 60 envelopes, the gratitude for what my parents have taught me just flowed out.  From my mom's creativity to my dad's musical gifts and thought provoking discussions, they have done so much to make me who I am today.  It was so nice to live within 200 miles so we could make the quick trip to be a part of this special occasion.

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A couple days later came Little Boy's actual birthday.  He'd been counting down the days all January.

We had a quiet little celebration at home.  He requested a chocolate lego brick cake just like his brother's.

We're so blessed to have this spirited child in our family.  His heart is just as tender as his nature is competitive...which is saying a lot.  He is bright, imaginative, and just so fun.  Since starting school, we've recognized he likes to be a bit of a clown.  He loves to make others laugh.  We love this dear boy.